NY Lizards Acquire Shamel Bratton and Steve Holmes

The New York Lizards have added midfielder Shamel Bratton and defenseman Steve Holmes to their roster from the Major League Lacrosse player pool. Less than two weeks ago, the MLL announced a partnership with Adrenaline that would allow Adrenaline LXM Pro Tour players to enter the MLL player pool. As a result, the League re-opened the player pool, allowing teams to pick up additional players.

The New York Lizards. Photo by: Stacy Podelski/1495 Sports

For Shamel Bratton, the Lizards forfeit their 5th round pick in the 2016 MLL Collegiate Draft. However if the Steve Mock trade from 2013 results in Boston receiving New York’s 4th round 2015 Collegiate Draft pick, the Lizards will forfeit their 2015 4th round pick in exchange for the 2016 5th round pick. In addition to Bratton, the Lizards also acquire defenseman Steve Holmes.

Shamel Bratton grew up on Long Island, where he played lacrosse for Huntington High School. After leading the Blue Devils to back-to-back New York State Class B Championships in 2005 and 2006, Bratton went on to play for the University of Virginia Cavaliers from 2008 to 2011. At UVa, he was a two-time first-team All-America and currently holds the record as Virginia’s all-time points leader for a midfielder.

In the 2011 MLL Draft, Bratton was selected fourth overall by the Boston Cannons, but instead decided to play for the LXM Pro Tour. With LXM in 2013, Bratton tallied 26 goals and 10 assists, ranking him second in both categories for Team Maverik.

Steve Holmes is a Gwynedd Valley, PA native, where he attended Germantown Academy, playing both lacrosse and football. Like Bratton, Holmes also attended the University of Virginia where he was one of the team’s most reliable defenders and long-stick midfielders during his four years as a Cavalier. During his senior season, Holmes was named a team captain and All-American. Holmes was a member of the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) in 2013 where he played in 15 games and picked up 44 loose balls. Prior to 2013, Holmes had been in the MLL since 2006. In 2011 and 2012, he was a member of the Denver Outlaws, appearing in 10 and 11 games each season, respectively.

Holmes and Bratton will get their first chance to play with the Lizards in April when training camp kicks off. The Lizards will open the 2014 season on April 27th against the Rochester Rattlers at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium at 6:00 PM. Single game tickets will go on sale March 17th and can be purchased at NYLizards.com or by calling 1-855-NYLizards.